Celtic to surely submit Tawanda Maswanhise bid after exit admission - verdict

Celtic will now surely make a move for Tawanda Maswanhise as it becomes increasingly clear that the club will not be able to hold onto Daizen Maeda for another season.

The Japan international has now come out and reaffirmed his desire to play in the Premier League.

Martin O’Neill had previously expressed his desire to keep hold of the 28-year-old for another season, despite his contract expiring in 12 months.

However, this now seems impossible, with Maeda making his desire to move on from Parkhead clearer as each week passes.

As a result, Celtic will surely launch a bid for Maswanhise in the coming weeks to replace their star forward.

The Motherwell striker has been heavily linked to Celtic Park since he won the Golden Boot in the Scottish Premiership last season, with O’Neill reportedly an admirer of the attacker.

Tawanda Maswanhise will surely be Celtic’s star striker next season

Maeda has been expected to be on his way out of Celtic for months.

This summer transfer window is perhaps the Hoops’ last chance to get a fee for the striker, and given his recent form, the club could get a decent sum.

Now, Maeda’s recent admission to the Japanese YouTube show Pivot via Sky Sports is surely the final indication that he will leave this summer.

He said: “Since I went to Celtic, I became interested in the Premier League. I started watching a lot of Premier League games. 

“I have a strong desire to play in the Premier League.”

As a result, Maswanhise may be the only player who can help fill the hole that the Japan international will leave behind.

The Zimbabwe international netted 22 goals in all competitions last season and helped Motherwell qualify for Europe. This is despite him being just 23 years old.

Therefore, Celtic submitting a bid for the attacker just makes sense, and the club should do this in preparation for Maeda’s sale.

However, it remains to be seen if the Hoops will finally take action on their long-time interest in Maswanhise.

Who else are Celtic linked with?

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Celtic are confident of signing Haissem Hassan for less than his £10million release clause.

The Real Oviedo winger was one of the stars of the 2026 World Cup and put in a fantastic display for Egypt in their 3-2 defeat to Argentina.

Celtic had reportedly seen a bid rejected for the 24-year-old last week, but another offer is now expected.

Hassan was unable to prevent Real Oviedo from being relegated from La Liga last season as they finished bottom of the division.